At least three hooded gunmen overpowered a caretaker on Tuesday and broke into the gated home of a friend where the minister, Guido Mantega, was with his wife and two children. The incident occurred in Ibiuna, a rural area of weekend getaway houses about 40 miles southwest of South America's largest city. The criminals spent hours Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning robbing about 20 people before leaving with jewelry and about $9,500 in cash, Globo TV reported.
When the suspects left, they forced a businessman at the party to drive away with them and make withdrawals from automatic teller machines, Globo TV said. He was later released unharmed. A spokesman for the Finance Ministry confirmed the incident and said Mantega was not hurt, but would provide no further details.
The spokesman would not give his name, in keeping with ministry policy. Police took three suspects into custody and said none of the guests at the barbecue were harmed. Brazil's carnival started last weekend and lasted through Wednesday.
Mantega served as Brazil's planning and budget minister and led Brazil's National Development Bank before being tapped as finance minister following last year's resignation of Antonio Palocci, the architect of Brazil's economic recovery and market-friendly fiscal policy. Palocci faced accusations he frequented a house in Brazil's capital of Brasilia where lobbyists held parties with prostitutes and money arrived by the suitcase, possibly for political payoffs. He denied any wrongdoing, and said he never set foot in the house.
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